Morning Read: ‘I’m Leaving Before He Can Fire Me’

Well, that’s one way to make a story. Police Commissioner Ray Kelly, sitting down with–of all publications–Playboy, trashed the Democratic mayoral candidates, including Mayor-elect Bill de Blasio, by agreeing with a suggestion that they were all “full of shit.” “Absolutely,” he replied.

“It just goes to show you what some politicians will do,” he elaborated on his gripe. “They’ll say or do anything to get elected. I know all these people. They all claimed to be friends of mine until their mayoral campaigns.” As for his future plans, Mr. Kelly joked, “I want to be a greeter at Walmart.”

Writing in The Weekly Standard, Fred Siegelwas also unimpressed with Mr. de Blasio: “Nothing de Blasio does will reduce inequality, but what it will do is make the working poor a bit more comfortable and the gentry liberals, in his home base of Brownstone Brooklyn, a little less guilty when they look into the mirror.”

While The New York Timesfound no shortage of de Blasio fans–in Italy: “On the night of Mr. de Blasio’s victory, Ms. Mongillo said she emailed Mr. de Blasio to say that Sant’Agata had ‘one crazy’ for him. Seven minutes later, Mr. de Blasio replied: ‘Grazie! Avanti.’ (Thanks! Forward.)”

Bloomberg profiled the relationship between Mr. de Blasio and Gov. Andrew Cuomo. “You could see a blueprint back in those days; they were hungry and they each wanted to become somebody big,” recalled one acquaintance, labeling the two “hang-out buddies” during Bill Clinton‘s 1992 campaign for president.

Controversial rackets chief Michael Vecchione, who has faced allegations of prosecutorial misconduct, quit his job before Brooklyn district attorney-elect Ken Thompson takes over next year. “Vecchione’s basically said, ‘Thompson said he’s firing me, so fuck him, I’m leaving before he can fire me,’” a source in the office said.

And the Daily News editorialized against Melissa Mark-Viverito, writing that she “should have the smarts to stand and recite the Pledge of Allegiance, however insincerely.” (Meanwhile, Council Speaker Christine Quinn said how proud she was to recite the pledge before meetings.)